LEARNING BY EAR Soccer made in Africa much more than a game'' EPISODE EIGHT: ''To be the best, one must be fit'' AUTHOR: Chrispin Mwakideu EDITORS: Ludger Schadomsky, Maja Braun List of characters / EPISODE EIGHT: Narrator SCENE ONE: SOCCER CLINIC AT CITY STADIUM Safina (f,13) Jonathan (m,15) Metogba (m,28) Komora (m,14) Mixed voices of boys and girls (13+) Wakasa (chairman soccer federation, m, 54) SCENE TWO: TAMBARARE CITY Hon. Makemba. (m,55) Komora (m,14) Inspector Tino (m, 40) SCENE THREE: POLICE STATION IN TAMBARARE Safina (f,13) Chedede (m,14) Aunt Lily (f, 33) SCENE FOUR: BACK IN THE STADIUM Chedede (m,14) Safina (f,13) Metogba (m,28) Mixed voices of boys and girls (13+) SCENE FIVE: AUNT LILY'S FLAT Safina (f,13) Aunt Lily (f, 33) 1/10
INTRO: 1. NARRATOR: Greetings and welcome once again to Learning by Ear. This is the eighth episode of our African football radionovela, entitled. Soccer made in Africa much more than a game. In the last episode, the president addressed the whole nation from the city stadium where famous Metogba is running the soccer clinic. Jonathan discovered the plot between his father, the MP, and Komora. And Aunt Lily, Metogba and Safina paid Chedede a visit while under arrest. Where will the story take us next? Stay close to find out in today s episode entitled, ''To be the best, one must be fit'' We begin with the soccer clinic at the city stadium, where Mr. Wakasa, the soccer federation s chairman, has a problem. SCENE ONE: SOCCER CLINIC AT CITY STADIUM 2. SFX: VOICES OF YOUNG PEOPLE PLAYING FOOTBALL 3. WAKASA: Metogba, you can't just quit simply because the President didn't tell you he was coming to make a speech. He is the President! He can do what he likes. 4. METOGBA: No! I do not agree with that, Mr. Wakasa. And what was all that about anyway? I'm the one who made the appeal on behalf of the youth. Not him, not his government. 2/10
5. WAKASA: I understand your frustration Metogba, but please don't give up now. These young players look up to you. You carry the hopes of each one of them. This clinic is probably their only chance to make it big in football. 6. METOGBA: Okay. I will stay, but only for football's sake. I am tired of the interference that I have experienced from the beginning of this soccer clinic. 7. SFX: WHISTLE BLOWS, FOOTBALL PLAYING SOUNDS STOP 8. METOGBA: (Shouts) Alright everyone, come over here. Where is Komora? 9. ALL PLAYERS: MURMURS AND VOICES OF PLAYERS WITH HEAVY BREATHING 10. METOGBA: Sit down on the ground. Listen, I am very pleased that the morale is so good among you but that is not enough. We still need to see who of you is the best, and so we will have a friendly match between this team and last year s champions, Tambarare F.C. After the match I will announce the M.V.P. or Most Valuable Player, who will then get to sign a contract with my team. 11. SFX: HUGE APPLAUSE 3/10
12. METOGBA: That's not all, I have received news that some scouts from Europe will be there as well. It's a huge opportunity for each one of you. 13. SAFINA: Look! Komora is coming. But why is he walking like that? 14. ALL PLAYERS: HUGE LAUGHTER... 15. SFX: WHISTLE BLOWS 16. METOGBA: Silence! Komora what do you think you are doing? 17. KOMORA: (Intoxicated voice) Aaah, stop asking me stupid questions! 18. METOGBA: What have you taken? 19. KOMORA: (Chuckles) You want to know? Or you want some? Haha.. here the best weed, just one puff, and it will take you wherever you want to go. 20. ALL PLAYERS: LAUGHTER AGAIN. 21. METOGBA: (Angry) Silence! Silence all of you! You think this is a laughing matter? Komora is one of us, he is under the influence of drugs and alcohol and all you people can do is laugh?. Komora! Leave the stadium now. I will talk to you tomorrow when you have sobered up. 4/10
22. JONATHAN: Coach, (Calmly) I think I know why he is like that. I think it's high time I bring this to an end. 23. NARRATOR: Someone was once said, you can fool some of the people some of the time, but you can t fool all of the people all of the time. This became true for Komora as Jonathan told the bewildered team and Metogba of the answerphone message left by Komora at his home. This information was quickly passed on to Inspector Tino as well, who from that moment on kept a close eye on Komora. So, the following day at Tambarare city... SCENE TWO: TAMBARARE CITY 24. SFX: WALKIE TALKIE SOUNDS 25. INSPECTOR TINO: (Talks into walkie talkie) Suspect still in sight, I repeat suspect still in sight, is sleeping in the shop entrance, over. Oh, the MP is approaching in his car... 26. SFX: CITY AMBIENCE / CAR ENGINE COMES TO A STOP.AUTOMATIC WINDOW OPENS. 27. HON.MAKEMBA: Hey Komora! Wake up! 28. SFX: CAR HORN HOOTED THREE TIMES 29. KOMORA: (Confused) Ah?..Oh Honourable..yes..my money right?. 5/10
30. HON.MAKEMBA: Here, it is in cash. And remember never call my house again! 31. INSPECTOR TINO: Freeze! Nobody move! You are both under arrest. 32. NARRATOR: Things went so fast, that even Hon.Makemba had no time to react. He was taken into custody along with Komora and he confessed he had incited Komora to do the break in at the electronics store and blame it to Chedede. Safina and Aunt Lily were there to witness the release of Chedede. SCENE THREE: POLICE STATION IN TAMBARARE 33. SFX: CITY STREET SOUNDS 34. SAFINA: Aunt Lily, I still can't believe this!, I thought these things only happened in movies. 35. AUNT LILY: Well. I'm just glad it is all over. Dede has been proven innocent and the real culprits have been brought to justice. 36. SAFINA: I always meant to ask you this.. are you and Chedede.. 37. CHEDEDE: (Excited) Hallo there!.. 38. SAFINA / AUNT LILY: Dede! 6/10
39. CHEDEDE: It is so good to see you, so good to be outside again and able to breathe the fresh air. 40. SAFINA: When Jonathan told us about the phone call and what his father and Komora had done, we were all shocked! 41. AUNT LILY: Okay let's go you two, you have to be on time at the stadium. 42. CHEDEDE: (In disbelief) Is this true? I can't believe my ears! You have given Safina permission to play football? 43. AUNT LILY: Yes, but on one simple condition. Safina must fight against the boys and earn a place in the team and go to play in Europe for the tournament. 44. SAFINA / CHEDEDE: (Both laugh) Hahaha! 45. CHEDEDE: I can't wait to be on the pitch again. 46. NARRATOR: One could almost sense the relief and joy on the faces of Aunt Lily, Safina and Chedede as they left the police station for the city stadium. Once they arrived there... SCENE FOUR: BACK IN THE STADIUM 47. SFX: WHISTLE BLOWS. 48. METOGBA: Okay everyone! Let's make a circle. Today, before we start our practise I would like to welcome Chedede back to the team. 7/10
49. ALL PLAYERS: APPLAUSE FOLLOWED BY WILD CHEERS AND WHISTLES. 50. METOGBA: Enough, now can anyone of you tell me what you have learnt from Komora's incident? 51. SAFINA: Coach, I have learnt that weed and football don't go very well together. 52. ALL PLAYERS: LAUGHTER 53. METOGBA: Exactly! Apart from being involved in a crime, Komora's mistake was using drugs. Many great athletes have destroyed their careers because of drugs. Can anybody give me an example? 54. CHEDEDE: Diego Maradona. I saw a short documentary about him at..well..at Shah Electronics. 55. METOGBA: That is true. Maradona is considered to be one of the best soccer players that ever lived as well as Pele. But his reputation and career was shattered when he failed a cocaine test in Italy and later he was expelled from the world cup in 1994 for using banned drugs. The bottom line is this, to be the best in football, one must always be fit. Which brings me to another topic, please pass the ball around, from hand to hand...feel it and look at it closely. 56. ALL PLAYERS: MURMURS AND VOICES. 8/10
57. METOGBA: Quietly. Good. Can anyone tell me anything about the ball? 58. NARRATOR: Metogba took time to explain to the young players that to be a good player one needs to have good ball control, and how drug and alcohol abuse makes it impossible to have this kind of control since it affects the normal functions of the body. He stressed on the importance of staying drug-free if they wished to excel in football. All this time,safina was thinking about her Aunt, and when she arrived home.. SCENE FIVE: AUNT LILY'S FLAT 59. SAFINA: Aunt Lily.. Aunt Lily can I ask you something? 60. AUNT LILY: (Angrily) You will not believe what I just heard on the radio news. They have let Makemba out on bail! This is the problem with our country. If you have money, you can always bend the law. I mean, look, Chedede was innocent and spent days in the cell. They finally arrest the criminals and he just pays and walks out! 61. SAFINA: (Embarrased) That is indeed shameful. 62. AUNT LILY: You wanted to ask me something. 9/10
63. SAFINA: Aunt Lily, today at the soccer clinic we learnt so much. Metogba talked about alcohol and drugs in football. All this time all I could think of was you. 64. AUNT LILY: Me? Why me Safina, I'm not playing football! (chuckles) 65. SAFINA: (with sense of shame) I know, but the other night you were very drunk, and this night job.. 66. AUNT LILY: (Shocked) Safina! Stop now! OUTRO: 67. NARRATOR: The subject of alcohol and drug abuse is very important, especially in competitive sports. Many sportsmen and women have been banned or stripped of their medals and trophies because of that. Safina was genuinely concerned for her Aunt. She still doesn t know what her job is. And now that Hon.Makemba is out on bail what does he intend to do? Remember, there is a big match coming up, what will be the outcome of the match after Chedede has teamed up with the group? This and much more in the next episode. If you wish to listen to this episode again or any others that have already been broadcast on Learning by Ear, please visit www.dw world.de/lbe. Until next time, Goodbye! 10/10